Skeleton
by Laur Jeevas
Summary: "Your precious Sasuke-kun's entered the true darkness. That's not what Itachi died for." ItachixOC, DeidaraxOC, SasukexOC NaruHina. Alternate Universe. Title/Chapter Titles from Skeleton by Bloc Party
1. The Damage is Done

The troubles of Konoha didn't really begin until after Uchiha Itachi's death. Most of Konoha were shocked; one of the skilled shinobi to ever come from Konoha, was killed by his younger brother? This didn't shock the ones who knew of the Uchiha clan massacre. Sasuke had always aimed to become strong enough to kill his brother and avenge his clan.  
For one kunoichi, however, the news was unbearable. Nakamura Sora, the sole surviour of the Nakamura clan, couldn't believe it, Itachi? Dead? Shortly after Itachi's death, Pein attacked Konoha, and Sora fought alongside her closest friend and fellow Jonin, Hatake Kakashi.  
After then watching Kakashi die by Pein's hands, Sora herself began to crumble. The news of Itachi's death, watching Kakashi die and the strain and stress of Konoha's fall hit Sora hard. For days, she found it hard to walk or speak, the shock still pumping through her veins, and when realisation hit her, she crumbled. The chuunin and genin muttered of the death of the infamous Uchiha Itachi, killed by his younger brother; Sora was numb to their words.

Realisation was not a pretty thing, as Kakashi found. The usually strong minded, hard-working kunoichi he knew wasn't there, and in her place was a skeleton; half the girl she used to be.  
It all came to a head when Sora spied the old Rookie 12, technically 11, huddled and talking of Itachi and Sasuke.

"Sasuke's exacted his revenge. He avenged his clan, now why isn't he home yet?" Naruto whined, almost impatiently. Shikamaru sighed, shaking his head.

"Danzo proclaimed Sasuke a missing-nin." the lazy shinobi sighed again, sounding more bored this time.

"This is probably what that bastard Itachi always wanted. Turmoil, and for Sasuke to be unhappy forever." Sakura shook her head as Shikamaru went on, and Sora tensed. They...they thought Itachi was bad?

"Probably. Thank the heavens he's dead." Naruto snorted, and the blood began to boil in Sora's veins as she stomped over.

"I beg your pardon? This is what Itachi wanted? You know nothing of Itachi's aims." she snarled to the group, and Neji snorted.

"The famous Nakamura Sora speaks. The heiress to the Uchiha clan."

"Shut it, Hyuuga." Sora spat, looking even more furious "I was heiress to my own clan, not the Uchiha."

Neji quitened down, sneering as he recoiled, whilst Sora turned to the rest of the chuunin and genin "You little bastards know nothing...Your precious Sasuke-kun's entered the true darkness. That's not what Itachi died for. Itachi died thinking Sasuke, like him, would protect Konoha."

"You're a liar." Naruto shook his head, and Sora glared over at him "That's a lie."

"Believe me, kid, I know what's the truth and what's a lie. Sasuke's too far gone," Sora's expression softened and her eyes seemed to glisten with tears "Itachi never intended for this."

Sakura seemed to be pondering. Nakamura...she knew the real story of that clan as much as she knew the real story of the Uchiha. She knew that the violet headed kunoichi in front of her wasn't lying; Sakura knew that ever word Sora muttered was the truth, and she knew that the kunochi's heart was breaking over the death of her lover "I believe you, Sora-san."

Naruto looked outraged at Sakura's statement, and went to speak, but the look on Sakura's face changed his mind quickly "Sora-san, may I speak to you privately?"

"I guess," Sora sighed "Come on, I know what you want to talk about. We'll go to my place."

As the two moved slowly and silently towards Sora's home near the abandoned Uchiha compound, Kakashi seemed to appear from nowhere and stopped them "Sora, I need to speak with you urgently. Your talk with Sakura will have to wait, I'm afraid."

The pink-headed kunoichi and looked up at Sora "I'll see you soon, Sora-san."

Sora nodded and watched as Sakura walked away, before turning to Kakashi, his expression grave. She knew what was about to be said, and sighed, looking away "My protection from Danzo is null and void."

"I know," Kakashi nodded, frowning "He plans on attacking you later. Your best bet would be to get out of Konoha- and fast. Gai, and a few other of our fellow jonin are willing to help.""

"I'm sure I can deal with escaping Konoha alone. Where do I go though?"

"Run. Just go anywhere, it doesn't matter. Just get out of Konoha, Sora-chan, please. Kakashi pleaded, looking almost desperate now Don't let him get you, and I promise, I'll find you."

Sora nodded, before turning away as the day began to fade away, like some sort of hazy memory and she began walking "Where he died. You'll find me there."

Night fell, and Danzo began his attack. He and three ANBU root members moved silently through the Uchiha compound, towards Sora's home, before storming the small cottage.  
Inside was bare; empty and Danzo looked around furiously. Where was that damn kunoichi?

"Danzo-sama, there's a letter here addressed to you." the ANBU held up the letter, which Danzo snatched from him and ripped open. As the current Hokage read the letter, it was very obvious that Sora had known and left Konoha, not in fear, but to save her own life.

"Find her, and kill her." the Hokage grunted, and the ANBU left, almost instantly. Now, it was time for Danzo deem yet another Konoha missingnin.


	2. The Horses Are Here

The ground was broken and cracked, the concrete almost mocking as Sora walked across the barren, destroyed battleground. Three days had past since her deflection from Konoha, and now she'd arrived at her destination.  
As she looked around, something tall and grey caught her eye; the last wall left of the place, a wall with a huge Uchiha fan painted on it, and as Sora moved towards her, it felt as if her heart was breaking with every step. Is this the wall Kakashi spoke of? The wall in which Itachi's cold corpse had lain?  
The closer she got to it, the more she realised that that was indeed, the very same wall, and as she approached, her heart seemed to cause nothing but pain.  
Sora fell to her knees in front of it and stared at the fan painted upon it. Itachi...he died there. Thunder crashed above her, and the bright, white light of forked lightning lit everything up as the rain began to fall heavily from the heavens.

Sora cried, the rain washing the tears from her face, and as she cried, she screamed out his name, before recoiling back and sobbing. She felt something under her hand, and moved it to find a necklace. She gulped looking down at it; thick black thread, and three silver rings.  
Sora grieved there on her own for a long time, and when she was finally done, she crawled into a nearby sheltered crevice, and slept.

–

In the meanwhile, in Konoha, both Kakashi and his fellow auburn haired Jonin, Yamistasu Sayuri were about to leave Konoha in search of Sora. Sayuri was much shorter compared to the tall, silver haired Kakashi, but she was just as capable as he was. Like Kakashi, Sayuri too was an ANBU member, and that's where she'd heard of the Lioness ANBU, also known as Sora. It was there she heard of Sora being one of the best ANBU, due to her quick, effective work.  
Kakashi soon quashed these rumours. The ANBU were not supposed to know each other's identity.

"This is dangerous." Sayuri muttered, looking around the dark Konoha streets nervously "Danzo and his Root could catch us."

"Hush, Sayuri. I made a promise to her."

"I don't even really know her...all I know is what...is what he told me." she frowned, dwelling back on past memories. Sayuri sighed, shaking her head. He was another victim by Sasuke's hands, and another Akatsuki member to die by Sasuke's hand.

"Come on, Sayuri. We need to go." Sayuri nodded, following Kakashi out of Konoha and through the leafy forest surrounding the village, and as they leapt from branch to branch, Sora wondered...this girl; Sora, the girl Deidara had told her Itachi never stopped thinking of...what would Danzo do to her?

Shaking her head once more, Sayuri followed Kakashi on through the dark night, heading towards the same place as Sora was laying sleeping restlessly.  
Too much had happened here, Sora thought, and as she crawled out of the small gully she had slept in, she pulled her headband from her forehead and looked down at it; shuriken in her hand.  
Konoha had done too much; her village had gone too far this time, and with a cringing sound of metal against metal, Sora scratched through the small symbol, before tying it back around her forehead. She'd have her revenge.

–

Both Sayuri and Kakashi were still travelling, nearing Sora's current location, the long journey having being exhausting.

Kakashi, assuming Sora wouldn't move, stopped Sayuri and stretched "We'll rest here, Sayuri. She won't leave tonight, and we've travelled a long way...it's well deserved."

"Thank you, Kakashi-san." Sayuri slumped against a tree, catching her breath. Kakashi chuckled, leaning back against a tree too, pulling out the infamous Icha-Icha book he always carried with him.

Sayuri smiled softly, her eyes closing slowly, before drifting off into a somewhat peaceful sleep. Kakashi shook his head, watching the young kunoichi with amused eyes.  
When Sayuri awoke, a warm morning sun was creeping across the leafy forest floor. She stretched and yawned, before looking over at Kakashi, who seemed to be making breakfast of some description.

"Morning, Sayuri-san."

"Good morning, Kakashi-san." she smiled, sitting down at the small campfire "How much farther must we travel until we find Sora?"

"Another five or six miles east, and we're there. I'll send Pakkun and the hound scouting ahead when we near the destination."

Sayuri nodded again, standing up "Why waste time? Let's go."  
Kakashi stood up and nodded in acknowledgement toward his fellow Jonin, who in turn smiled and leapt up the tree and into the closest branch, to which, Kakashi followed almost immediately.

–

An hour or so had passed, and the two were within half a mile of the site. Kakashi had summoned Pakkun and the hounds and sent them ahead to find Sora.  
Kakashi had been surprised to find Pakkun at his feet, a few moments later.

"She's gone. No trace at all."

"...What? She said she'd meet us here!" Kakashi stared, astounded. Sora wasn't there...?

"She summoned Hotaru, we know that much." the dog growled, and Sayuri looked puzzled.

"Hotaru?" the kunoichi questioned, her teal eyes blinking for an answer. Kakashi turned to her and looked down at the ground, trying to figure out where Sora had gone.

"Hotaru is a horse. She's Sora's summoning." Kakashi muttered gravely, shaking his head. Pakkun's ears then pricked up suddenly, as he heard a whinny on the wind. Sayuri looked North, the direction Pakkun was staring in, before turning to Kakashi.

"Let's tail her, Kakashi-san. She's headed North." Kakashi nodded, then froze, hearing the crunching of leaves behind him. Someone was there!

"Kakashi-sensei..." the pink-headed kunoichi stepped out from behind a tree. Kakashi stared at Sakura, trying to figure out what she was doing here "She's going after Sasuke-kun. Let me help you find her."

"How do you know, Sakura?" the silver haired Jonin eyed her suspicously, as Sakura pulled a letter from her pouch. She handed it to Kakashi, watching with glittering emerald eyes as he read over it. "Mmm. This is definitely Sora's writing...and she does say that she's going after Sasuke...we should stop her, and we're on edge of war as it is. What do you think, Sayuri-san? believe that would be our best plan of action."

"I agree, if we didn't, the war would probably end up worse." Sayuri nodded. Sakura eyed her questioningly. Yamistasu Sayuri. Kidnapped by Deidara of the Akatsuki, and as the rumours went, they'd fallen in love somewhere along the way.  
Unfortunately, Deidara took his eyes off her for one day, and Konoha shinobi found and escorted Sayuri home. It was never spoken of what Sayuri reaveled, or didn't about Akatsuki or Deidara.  
In fact, the incident was never spoken of.

"North it is, then." Kakashi half smiled, as his dogs returned to him. "Shall we?"  
The two females nodded and took up and off into the trees, following Hotaru and Sora's scent northwards.


	3. All My Bones Are So Tired

A few miles North, Sora was tearing up the ground as Hotaru galloped forwards. The golden coloured mare let out a whinny as her raven mane flew behind her.  
Hotaru suddenly skidded to halt. Sora peeked over the mare's head to find a critically injured shinobi...a missing nin. Figuring that befriending a fellow shinobi like herself, she shrugged and jumped from Hotaru's back, inspecting the injured shinobi.  
There was something familiar about him. He seemed to have long, blonde hair, and he was covered in burns.  
Being an ANBU member, Sora knew a few advanced medical jutsu, along with the basic, and set to work healing him. Looking at his headband, she found he deflected from the Hidden Rock village, and half of a heavy looking ring lay nearby him. Shrugging, Sora healed him, and after around fifteen minutes, had him on Hotaru's back, and was leading Hotaru away, trying to find somewhere to stay for the night.

"Sora-chan, I don't know if this is a good idea." Hotaru whickered, as Sora lit a fire. The kunoichi eyed the horse carefully, sighing.

"I know, Hotaru," she replied, scratching Hotaru behind her ears. The mare snickered in pleasure, enjoying the sensations of a good scratch, before turning serious again "but he could help me...well, us. War is imminent. He's Akatsuki, he'll know of Sasuke, and how Sasuke fights now."

"He's Akatsuki?" a frightened whinny escaped Hotaru "Sora-chan, are you stupid! Akatsuki! He'll kill you!"

"Then I explain to him that I'm Sayuri-san's friend. There."

"Well, if you're sure, Sora-chan..." Hotaru nuzzled against Sora's cheek "I'll fight to the end with you."

"Thank you, Hotaru." Sora laid back against the laying mare, and fell asleep soundly.  
The next morning, a groan came from the blonde as he groggily awoke he looked around, and set eyes on, suddenly sitting up, but then grimacing in pain.  
Hotrau looked up and whickered, nudging Sora until the kunoichi awoke.

"Who the hell are you, un?" Deidara looked around worriedly as Sora focused on him.

"You're awake." she watched him carefully. He was unarmed, without chakra and in a lot of pain, so she had nothing to fear "I found you nearby. You were almost dead, so I took care of you. No need to thank me, I was simply doing a good deed."

Deidara looked at her puzzled, before looking up at her headband, and bandaged upper right arm "You're a Konoha nin, un...a deflected Konoha nin, at that. Wanna tell me who you are, yeah?"

Sora smiled a little, patting Hotaru's face "My name is Sora. Yes, I'm Konoha...and I know the stories about you and Sayuri-san."

Deidara froze, his heart sinking a little. Sayuri...his beautiful Sayuri.  
Where was she now? Alive...or dead? He didn't want to think the worst had happened, but from what he could remember from the attack, it had been bad. He bit his lip, and sighed "How is Sayuri-chan? Not that I care or anything, un."

Sora smiled, and felt a little sad for him, before realizing something. Hotaru had smelt Kakashi's hounds on the wind...and the scent of Sayuri's wolf summon. They were following her "Sayuri-san is fine. In fact, we're meeting soon. How about you come along? I'm sure she'd love to see you."

Deidara's face lit up, before falling "What if she's with another shinobi, who'll have to kill me? I'm fucked, un."

Sora shook her head, before smiling "Hatake Kakashi is my best friend, and the other shinobi with Sayuri-san. You'll be fine."  
Deidara slowly stood up shakily; Sora and Hotaru both rising along with him. Sora gave the mare a smirk and a rub behind the ears.

"Told you so."

Shaking her head, Hotaru whinnied softly "You win. This time."

–

Twenty miles behind Sora, Deidara and Sakura, Kakashi, Sayuri and Sakura were resting up in a small meadow. Sayuri laid back and looked up at the clouds, whilst Kakashi read that goddamned Icha-Icha novel. Sakura was the first to speak.

"Do you think she's okay?"

Kakashi put his book down and looked around "She'll be fine. Sora's a hard nut."

Sayuri nodded in agreement, before smiling at the younger kunoichi "Don't worry, Sakura-san."

Sakura felt a little stupid, but Kakashi could understand his former student's fear. Sayuri seemed to have lapsed back into her little dream world- but in fact, she was driving herself insane with worry.  
What if Sasuke killed Sora, like he so needlessly slaughtered Deidara?

"Come on, I can't sit anymore." Sayuri stood up "We need to find her before someone else does."

Sakura and Kakashi both stood up, Pakkun on Kakashi's shoulder. He took a long sniff before nodding north, and with that, the three shinobi set off, back through the forest, at what seemed to be an increased pace.  
They covered fifteen miles in an hour and a half in a calm silence. They knew they were getting closer; Sora was now within a ten-mile radius.

"We're close!" Sakura smiled, speeding up a little more. Kakashi nodded, a small smile underneath his mask. She was safe now. Then, they stopped very suddenly.

"What's this chakra? I can feel it..."

"Stop! Stay where you are." Kakashi spoke quietly, and calmly. Both Sakura and Sayuri nodded, readying themselves. They could see nothing ahead of them, or around them, and then, the chakra seemed to fade into nothingness.  
Cautiously, they moved forward. Whatever had been there had gone, but they had to be careful. What ever was there, could easily come back.

"Where is she? Where's Sora?"

The voice behind them caused them to stop and arm themselves again, before turning around slowly. What they found made Sakura drop her kunai, Kakashi's eyes to widen, and Sayuri's knees to tremble.  
They had never imagined to have seen this in a million years.

"Oh, Kami." were the fear-stricken words to fall from Sayuri's lips.


	4. It Told Me To Stay

The silence was deafening. No one could say a word, dumbstruck. Kakashi slowly narrowed his eyes, and stood up tall, facing down his opponent.

"Sora thinks you're dead. You were the only thing protecting her life, so, instead of dying, she fled. We're looking for her." Kakashi's voice was low, and there was a hint of fury in it. Sayuri could only stare. She'd only really seen him briefly in Akatsuki. He never seemed to care much for her.  
And Sakura turned away, thinking back. If it hadn't been for him, Sasuke would still be here...and Naruto would be happy.

"Where did she go?"

"We...we don't know." Kakashi sighed, looking down at ground, before looking away. Sayuri frowned and shook her head; she couldn't imagine how Kakashi felt right now, but she assumed it was awful.

Itachi surveyed the group of them, his Sharingan activated. Sayuri flinched a little; she never liked that Sharingan, and she trembled slightly when his eyes stayed focused on her "Sayuri-san."

"Itachi-sama." her voice stayed quiet and even as she spoke "It's been quite a while."

Itachi continued to watch her, before speaking again; quietly "Indeed. I assume you know?"

"As you do of I."

The Uchiha nodded and turned away, Kakashi staring him down, distaste in his eyes. The silver-haired Jonin wanted answers, and he wanted answers, at that moment "How are you here? Apparently Sasuke killed you, as it's told, and Madara took your body."

Itachi turned round again sharply, his eyes showing slight anger, he and Kakashi now staring each other down. Both Sayuri and Sakura shrunk back, watching a little fearfully. It was like he was back from the dead.

"We'll get to that in good time, Kakashi-san." Itachi's voice trembled with a quiet anger again, as he began to move away "Are you going to find her, or am I going alone?"

Kakashi glowered "We're going to find her."

–

Only eight miles north, Hotaru came to sudden stop, surprising both Sora and Deidara. Sora looked down at the mare, puzzled, while she sniffed at the air.

"Something isn't right." the mare whickered; fright in her voice "We have to go this way. We need to get away."

"But...what is it?" Sora patted Hotaru's neck reassuringly, trying to make sense. Hotaru trembled, and Deidara shook his head.

"Dark...it's like Uchiha chakra, and it's getting closer." Hotaru gave a tremendous neigh, and reared up, before leaping straight into a gallop, heading East.  
Kakashi and the others stopped, they heard Hotaru's neigh, and stared, and as before, Itachi moved first, heading quickly to the source of the sound, Kakashi and the others close behind. Kakashi could understand the Uchiha's need to see her, but he wondered just how she'd react when they eventually caught up. He didn't know if she would accept it or not.

"Kakashi-san," Sayuri panted, speeding up "Why does she keep running? Hotaru would know our scent."

"I don't know, Sayuri-san," Kakashi shook her head "Grief does funny things to us."

–

They'd galloped for hours, and after many a twist and turn, Hotaru was finally confident they'd lost whatever wasn't right. Sora had been unusually sullen, and Deidara hadn't dared push her for answers. As they both dismounted the golden mare in a grassy clearing, Hotaru whickered happily and trotted off down to the river to cool herself off.  
Deidara and Sora had split; Deidara on the hunt for firewood, and Sora on the hunt for food. They'd headed off in separate directions; Sora taking the right hand side, and Deidara the left.  
He was walking down a little path, picking up suitable pieces of wood, thinking as he did so. He missed her; he missed her ways, he missed her smile...hell, he just...missed her full stop. He stopped and leant down, picking up a flower; something that she would've liked, and he sighed, he really, really missed Sayuri.

He didn't hear the shuffling behind him, until the last moment, when he leapt up, and turned, glowering. The glower soon faded from his face and was replaced with shock. He couldn't even bring himself to talk.

"Hello..." she whispered first, a small smile on her lips; and her teal eyes wide with wonder. Deidara took small steps towards her, before running straight over and wrapping his arms around her.

"Sayu..." he breathed out, nuzzling his face into her neck. Sayuri held him back, almost as tightly, and never wanted to let go, and Deidara only held her even more tightly when he felt her tears soak his shoulder. Explanations would come later, for now, all Deidara wanted to do was hold onto the one thing he claimed to be the most precious.

–

Sora was hunting. She was quiet, stealthy and efficient. So far, she had three rabbits in her haul, and was now stalking a deer.  
She had made no movement, but the deer looked up, and bolted away. The kunoichi looked around puzzled, and then felt a chill in the air; something more than cold.  
Heading deeper into the forest, she made sure she armed herself, just in case, and kept herself on guard.

Hotaru could smell it on the wind. She had reared up, searching for Sora's scent, and whinnied in terror, unable to find her. Heading straight back into a flying gallop towards the camp, the bad feeling came back. Something wasn't right, and it hadn't been all day! She headed off in what she assumed to be Sora's direction, hoping she'd get there in time...

Sora herself had found a small clearing, in which she seemed safe. She took a deep breath in to relax, until she heard a crackle in the dead leaves on the forest floor.  
Again, arming herself with shuriken and kunai, she braced herself for her apparent enemy, but she couldn't brace herself for this.

"Sora."

Violet eyes widened and she knew she had to be stuck in some sort of genjutsu, yet she couldn't bare to turn around and look at whoever stood there. It couldn't be him, he was dead.

"Sora, please...turn around."

Slowly, she turned around, and brought herself to look at him. He hadn't changed much, he still stood proud, those black bangs still framing his face.  
The only thing he was missing, was his necklace, which was now around her neck. She couldn't speak, she could only stare, biting back the floods of tears that wanted to flow, and she wanted nothing more than to just fall into his arms.

"Is this genjutsu?" she asked quietly. He shook his head.

"No, Sora-koi. I'm here."

She nodded; no one knew that he called her Sora-koi, not even Kakashi knew that. It was a secret between them both.  
Slowly they moved towards each other, taking tentative steps, as if they barely knew each other. Finally meeting, he held his hand out to her, and she took it, before pulling him close to her and hugging him tightly.

"I thought you were dead!" her voice betrayed how she felt; she didn't know how to react, but it was him, here in the flesh, holding onto her like he'd never held her before "I thought...I...I..."

"Ssh, I'm here now," Itachi rested his chin on her head and closed his eyes. The sun filtered through the trees, and it was if there were beams shining down on them "I'm sorry. I'm so sorry."

"It doesn't matter, you're here now." she sniffled slightly into him, and he simply held on tighter "Never leave me again."

"I never will." he smiled and pulled away, taking her hand into his "Come on, Kakashi-san, probably wants to see you."

She couldn't understand this. How was he here? Sasuke apparently killed him. She was sure either he or Kakashi would explain, but for the moment, explanations didn't matter. She simply loved the warmth of his arms.


End file.
